Afril Bernardino stuffed the stat sheet to power Philippine Navy to a victorious debut against Cavite-TOL, 70-57, in the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) last Sunday, Jan. 26, at the Enderun Gym.

Bernardino, a pillar of the Gilas Women program, shone with a game-high 28 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting, along with 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks, leading the Lady Sailors to their first win.

Her stellar performance helped the Lady Sailors fend off a spirited late rally by the Patriots in the final frame.

Backed by Kalos PH and Go for Gold, Navy relied on its suffocating defense, holding Cavite scoreless for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.

This defensive stand allowed the Lady Sailors to establish their largest lead, 63-39, punctuated by Bernardino's short stab with 8:13 remaining.

Luisa San Juan and Erika Jimenez led a comeback attempt for the Patriots with an 18-7 run that trimmed the deficit to 13 points.

However, their efforts fell short as Navy held firm to secure the win.

“Nag-materialize naman ‘yung play namin and even ‘yung aming defense when it comes to the full court and half court namin. I think ‘yung defense namin ang nakatulong sa amin to win this game,” said Lady Sailors playing coach Ewon Arayi, who opted to sit out and observe rather than suit up for the match.

Trixie Antiquera added 11 points for Navy, knocking down three triples to complement Bernardino's dominant performance.

For Cavite-TOL, Jimenez and San Juan each scored 10 points, with Jimenez also grabbing 14 rebounds. However, both struggled with their shooting as Jimenez converted just one of her eight attempts, while San Juan went 4-of-13 from the field.

Meanwhile, Raiza Palmera-Dy recorded a double victory on the same day in this tournament as she tallied seven points, five assists, and three rebounds to lead Discovery to a dominant 108-60 rout of Imus SIS-VBL.

Later in the day, she guided Far Eastern University to a 69-45 triumph over EZ Jersey.

Allana Lim had a standout performance for Perlas, erupting for a tournament-high 36 points on a remarkable 16-of-21 shooting clip with 12 rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

The University of Santo Tomas trio of Angel Anies, Nikki Villasin, and Tantoy Ferrer provided solid support for Lim. Anies scored 16 points, while Villasin and Ferrer chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, to help Perlas secure their first win and improve to 1-1 in the standings.

For FEU, Lady Tamaraws captain Erica Lopez led the charge with 14 points and four rebounds, while Amyah Espanol, a 5-foot-7 guard who transferred from Davenport University last year, added 12 points and seven rebounds.

On the other side, Khaterine Cantimbuhan paced the winless Lady Magdalo (0-2) with 13 points and four rebounds.

For EZ Jersey, Caryl Molina posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, while Natasha Alcantara contributed 10 points in the losing effort.

The Scores:

First Game

Discovery 108 – Lim 36, Anies 16, Ferrer 12, Villasin 10, Tolentino 7, Palmera-Dy 7, Sambile 6, Candelaria 5, Peñaflor 4, Borja 3, Layug 2, Adriano 0, Gloriano 0, Galicia 0

Imus Sis-VBL 60 – Cantimbuhan 13, Ebio 8, Cabahug 7, Pamaran 6, Villanueva 6, Taclibon 6, San Diego 5, Dela Cruz 4, Flor 3, Canlapan 2, Santos 0, Dela Cuesta 0, Manuel 0, Buenafe 0, Bañadora 0

Quarterscores: 32-19, 54-34, 84-41, 108-60.

Second Game

Philippine Navy-Kalos PH 70 – Bernardino 28, Antiquera 11, Mendoza 7, Tongco 4, Seño 4, Miranda 4, Lomogda 3, Mateo 3, Solis 2, Ong 2, Macasiray 2, Borja 0, Cas 0, Galamiton 0, Brilliante 0

Cavite-Tol 57 – Jimenez 10, San Juan 10, Hawkins 8, Flores 7, Reyes 5, Lepardo 4, Gonato 3, Paraiso 3, Del Prado 2, Pacia 2, Zshornack 2, Casinillo 1, Magalong 0, Delas Herras 0

Quarterscores: 28-13, 37-26, 56-39, 70-57.

Third Game

FEU 69 – Lopez 14, Espanol 12, Salvani 9, Manguiat 7, Mendaross 6, Dela Torre 5, Nagma 4, Ong 4, Patio 4, Pagteilan 2, Pasilang 2, Gavaran 0

EZ Jersey 45 – Molina 11, Alcantara 10, Capilit 9, Gandalla 6, Felisarta 3, Docallos 2, Schmidt 2, Sison 1, Gonzalo 1, Fugnit 0, Andan 0, Domingo 0, Ngo 0, San Jose 0

Quarterscores: 19-9, 35-23, 53-30, 69-45.